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According to the Washington Post's space reporter it's not really the FAA's fault. https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1376668877699047424 https://twitter.

by khuey 6y ago

According to the Washington Post's space reporter it's not really the FAA's fault. https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1376668877699047424 https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1376668877699047424

ggreer 6y ago
Isn't it the FAA's fault for requiring an inspector on scene before every launch? There's simply no way to iterate quickly with a constraint like that, especially if the inspectors are in Florida and need to be flown out each time.
- iso1631 6y ago
  The logical thing would be for SpaceX to fund a full time on site inspector working for the FAA I have no doubt spacex would love to do that so why isn't it possible?
modeless 6y ago
I'm not surprised that's a Washington Post reporter's take, but given the same information I have a different take: this is very much the FAA's fault. This is a billion dollar development program and the FAA ought to be able to get someone in state for oversight, or allow remote oversight in cases where they can't get their guy there promptly (because, don't forget, of a different government bureaucracy, not SpaceX). Also they should be easier to reach. By saying that SpaceX "must provide adequate notice of its launch schedule", they are basically saying that it's unreasonable for anyone to try a fast-paced space development program. SpaceX has to slow down so the FAA isn't inconvenienced by having to hire a local inspector, or having the inspector wait idle a few days, or keep their phone on and travel on short notice, or figure out remote inspections. Which is just the epitome of government bureaucracy.
- cma 6y ago
  Seems SpaceX are doing a mea culpa after dumping debris over the town in the explosion: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376903913564160002 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376903913564160002
  - modeless 6y ago
    Fake news. Debris was not dumped over the town. SpaceX wants to make Brownsville nicer because they are hiring thousands of employees who will live there.
    - cma 6y ago
      I saw a video of someone grabbing a piece of freshly landed insulation but I guess that could fly a lot farther than the more dangerous stuff.
adwn 6y ago
> Washington Post We'd do well to keep in mind that the Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns Blue Origin, a rival spaceflight company. That doesn't necessarily mean that the reporter's information is false, but he's potentially biased.
- robszumski 6y ago
  There is no evidence that this is the case. Can you cite an example that is not Trump saying the "Amazon Washington Post"?
  - adwn 6y ago
    > There is no evidence that this is the case. Can you cite an example that is not Trump saying the "Amazon Washington Post"? Huh? What does Trump have to do with Bezos owning the WaPo?
  - elihu 6y ago
    Conflicts of interest cannot in general be proved or disproved to have influenced any person's behavior (short of an explicit quid pro quo agreement). For that reason, the safe assumption is generally to assume that if money is flowing from one person or organization to another that a conflict of interest exists and that it is very likely to be influencing behavior. In this case it means that it's reasonable to regard what the Washington Post says with some degree of skepticism. The best way to resolve conflicts of interest is to not have them in the first place. Unfortunately, if the Washington Post's continued existence depends on backing from a rich patron/owner, then their credibility is a little bit less than it would otherwise be on subjects that overlap with Jeff Bezos's interests. That doesn't mean the Washington Post is wrong, just that they deserve extra scrutiny. At the risk of letting politics intrude into the discussion: the Washington Post also exhibits a conflict-of-interest pattern of behavior elsewhere. Bernie Sanders is a vocal critic of Amazon and their treatment of workers, and the Washington Post is often harshly critical of Senator Sanders. Again, there's no proof that Jeff Bezos is influencing the editorial content of the Washington Post, but there's a pattern of behavior and a financial incentive.

by khuey 6y ago

ggreer 6y ago

Isn't it the FAA's fault for requiring an inspector on scene before every launch? There's simply no way to iterate quickly with a constraint like that, especially if the inspectors are in Florida and need to be flown out each time.

iso1631 6y ago
The logical thing would be for SpaceX to fund a full time on site inspector working for the FAA I have no doubt spacex would love to do that so why isn't it possible?

modeless 6y ago

I'm not surprised that's a Washington Post reporter's take, but given the same information I have a different take: this is very much the FAA's fault. This is a billion dollar development program and the FAA ought to be able to get someone in state for oversight, or allow remote oversight in cases where they can't get their guy there promptly (because, don't forget, of a different government bureaucracy, not SpaceX). Also they should be easier to reach. By saying that SpaceX "must provide adequate notice of its launch schedule", they are basically saying that it's unreasonable for anyone to try a fast-paced space development program. SpaceX has to slow down so the FAA isn't inconvenienced by having to hire a local inspector, or having the inspector wait idle a few days, or keep their phone on and travel on short notice, or figure out remote inspections. Which is just the epitome of government bureaucracy.

cma 6y ago
Seems SpaceX are doing a mea culpa after dumping debris over the town in the explosion: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376903913564160002 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376903913564160002
- modeless 6y ago
  Fake news. Debris was not dumped over the town. SpaceX wants to make Brownsville nicer because they are hiring thousands of employees who will live there.
  - cma 6y ago
    I saw a video of someone grabbing a piece of freshly landed insulation but I guess that could fly a lot farther than the more dangerous stuff.

adwn 6y ago

> Washington Post We'd do well to keep in mind that the Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns Blue Origin, a rival spaceflight company. That doesn't necessarily mean that the reporter's information is false, but he's potentially biased.

robszumski 6y ago
There is no evidence that this is the case. Can you cite an example that is not Trump saying the "Amazon Washington Post"?
- adwn 6y ago
  > There is no evidence that this is the case. Can you cite an example that is not Trump saying the "Amazon Washington Post"? Huh? What does Trump have to do with Bezos owning the WaPo?
- elihu 6y ago
  Conflicts of interest cannot in general be proved or disproved to have influenced any person's behavior (short of an explicit quid pro quo agreement). For that reason, the safe assumption is generally to assume that if money is flowing from one person or organization to another that a conflict of interest exists and that it is very likely to be influencing behavior. In this case it means that it's reasonable to regard what the Washington Post says with some degree of skepticism. The best way to resolve conflicts of interest is to not have them in the first place. Unfortunately, if the Washington Post's continued existence depends on backing from a rich patron/owner, then their credibility is a little bit less than it would otherwise be on subjects that overlap with Jeff Bezos's interests. That doesn't mean the Washington Post is wrong, just that they deserve extra scrutiny. At the risk of letting politics intrude into the discussion: the Washington Post also exhibits a conflict-of-interest pattern of behavior elsewhere. Bernie Sanders is a vocal critic of Amazon and their treatment of workers, and the Washington Post is often harshly critical of Senator Sanders. Again, there's no proof that Jeff Bezos is influencing the editorial content of the Washington Post, but there's a pattern of behavior and a financial incentive.